The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
As an image forming apparatus including a printer and an image scanner which can be operated independently or under control of a personal computer (PC), such as a so-called hybrid machine, there has been known such a structure that a scanner unit is mounted on a top plate of a rack, and a printer unit provided with a caster is installed below the top plate. When an original such as a bound book is to be read, a user will strongly press the original against an original table for enhancing tightness of contact between the original and the original table. For this reason, the top plate on which the scanner unit is mounted, and a connecting structure between the top plate and a prop are required to have high rigidity.
By holding the scanner unit on the top plate of the rack, it is possible to secure a space above the printer unit and to eject printed sheets of paper onto an upper face of the printer unit, which will make the image forming apparatus more compact, as compared with a case where a sheet ejection tray is provided on a side face. Moreover, because the top plate on which the scanner unit is mounted is supported by the prop in a cantilevered manner, the space between the top plate and the printer unit is made open in three directions, and operability in taking out the printed sheets will be improved.
However, in the structure where the rack for holding the scanner unit is a separate body from the printer unit, and the printer unit must be pulled out from underneath of the top plate of the rack on each occasion of performing maintenance, for example, removal of jammed sheets or replenishment of toner, there has been such a problem that a moving space for the printer unit must be kept around the image forming apparatus.